BY TAN SRI OMAR ABDUL RAHMAN
CASE studies and best practices are the staple diet of business courses. Case studies are the records of how successful enterprises conduct their businesses, while best practices are compilations of useful solutions to be given to solve problems.
In a complex and fast changing environment, best practice is not good enough. In fact, it can be bad practice. For example, [ihc-hide-content ihc_mb_type=”show” ihc_mb_who=”2,3″ ihc_mb_template=”1″ ] the propensity of international aid agencies to prescribe best practice in solving problems in developing countries regardless of the specifics of the local situation, has been likened to a disease which has been given the name of “best practisitis”.
And case studies are like fossilised specimens of rapidly evolving species. To be ahead of competitors one cannot be doing what others have already done or are also trying to do. One must be several steps ahead.
That however does not mean that case studies and best practices are not useful. They have an important role to play.
To be ahead of the pack, we are always told to think out of the box. How does one do that if one does not know what is inside the box?
This is where case studies and best practices come in. Consider them as being what are in the box. Knowing what’s inside the box, we can now think about how to do better than current practices. We can then put our creativity to work and be innovative.
“Knowing what’s inside the box,
we can now think about how to do
better than current practices.
We can then put our creativity
to work and be innovative.”
What has all the above got to do with research and invention, you might ask? Well the answer is that the research and invention community, not satisfied with status quo, with existing products and best practices, is always creating new things and improving current practices.
That is their way of thinking out of the box. So, carry on being creative and innovative. Keep thinking out of the box. Now think about how to do better than current practices. We can then put our creativity to work and be innovative.
What has all the above got to do with research and invention, you might ask? Well the answer is that the research and invention community, not satisfied with status quo, with existing products and best practices, is always creating new things and improving current practices.
NOTE: The author is a Senior Fellow, Academy of Sciences Malaysia.
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